FARMERS' REGISTER. 



137 



and a half feet aparl at one operation. For carrot 

 and parsnip four teetli were furnished, set two 

 leet apart, cutting luur drills, two leet asunder, at 

 one operation. Seed sown continuously in the 

 drill by hand, in quantity lor all about three times 

 as much as plants would be required. All was 

 sown betwixt the 16th and 18th of April. When 

 well up and properly developed, the beet atid 

 mangel wurtzel were thinned to six or seven 

 inches apart, the carrots to three or four, and the 

 parsnips to four or five inches apart. 



The hoeing was performed by a cultivator set 

 with duck feet or scalpers ; it might be dragged by 

 a stout man, but in the present case a light short- 

 tread horse was used, led by a careful man while 

 a thorough hand held or conducted the scalper. 

 The holder, or ploughman, should be olquick eye 

 and steady hand, to be prepared fir the slightest 

 deviation of the horse wliich might bring the oul- 

 hne scalpers next the drill, to which the inclination 

 tended, upon the plants, which would prove as 

 lata! to them as to the weeds — the scalpers mak- 

 ing clean work of all that come in their way. By 

 (his method of hoeing, and of keeping the ground 

 clean and loose, much labor and time were saved, 

 lor in two hours as much might be done in this 

 way, as would take a good hand to perlbrm in a 

 week, and then it would be better done by the 

 scalper, than by hand hoeing. An hour or two 

 by the scalper at proper and convenient periods, 

 with now and then a ready hand weeding when 

 coarse weeds were observable among the plants 

 were all the time and labor bestowed at this im- 

 portant stage of culture. Taking the whole labor 

 ii^om the beginning to the (fathering of the roots 

 included, it would not be greater than that which 

 is usually bestowed on a well worked patch ofcorti ; 

 nor can the manure used, be estimated, as to 

 quantity and value, to be greater than would be 

 required for potatoes cultivated in the common and 

 usual way on a patch ofground in similar condition. 



Product. 



Sugar beet, less tlian tliree-fourths of an acre, having in tlie 

 patcli ten large old apple trees, produced 640 bushels clean and 

 close topped roots ; a biuhel (as ordina- 

 rily tilled in manner as the 640) weighed Tons. cut. ps. lbs. 

 64 lbs. ------- 18 5 -.i 24 



Mangel wurtzel, less than three-eighths 

 of an acre, having six applctrees in the 

 patch, 3-20 bushels. 9 2 3 1:2 



Field carrot, half an acre, having nine ap- 

 ple trees in the patch, 260 bushels, 7 8 2 8 



Sugar parsnip, one-fourth of an acre, having 

 seven apple trees in the patch, 120 bushels 3 8 2 8 



Total 



38 



2 24 



In less than two acres. — Would not be over one 

 and three-fourths of an acre, deducting space of 

 trees. If allowance be made for trees and their 

 shade, the above result must prove very encou- 

 raging to those who intend to turn their attention 

 to (he culture of green crops. 



DKPTH OF PI.OUGHIXG. 



From the Library of Useful ICnowIedge. 

 The proper depth of ploughinir must necessarily 

 depend upon the nature of the soils ; but although 

 every intelligent husbandman must be aware of 

 the superiority of those of a deep staple over those 

 which are shallow, yet, in discussing the propriety 

 of the extent to which the operation may besalely 

 Vol.. VIII-18 



carried, it should be borne in mind that there is a 

 wide difference between the effects of ploughing 

 deeply into land, the vegetative stratum of which 

 is of nearly equal fertility throughout, and that of 

 augmenting a shallow suriijce of fertile soil by 

 mixing it up with a subsoil of inferior quality. 



The depth to which the roots of plants penetrate 

 into the earth in search of sustenance, varies as 

 much, according to the properties of the soil, as 

 does the nature of the plants themselves. There 

 are many, the roots ofwhich arc found at fifteen to 

 twenty, and even thirty leet under ground — sainfoin 

 and lucerne, for instance ; even red clover will 

 strike down to nearly three feet, if the soil be a fer- 

 tile loam ; and some of our commonest vegetables, 

 if u be friable or sandy, push their tap-rools to about 

 the same depth. But as the land is chiefly des- 

 tined lor the production of grain, its value is rather 

 to be considered according to its capability for the 

 growth of corn than for that of any particular spe- 

 cies of green crop. 



It may be observed by the mere naked eye, that 

 if the land be of a free nature, the roots of wh* at 

 will penetrate as far as eight inches into the earth ; 

 and when sown on the crowns of ridges, (hey have 

 been found in rich soils at the depth of twelve ; 

 though that probably arosse liom the greater influ- 

 ence of the atmosphere, for they do nof reach to (he 

 same depth on level ground. The seed is usually 

 sown at about two inches deep ; consequently, the 

 roots maybe ten inches long. We may, therefore, 

 assume the depth of twelve inches as the utmost 

 vejretative limit of corn land. 



If the plants lie close together, they are disposed 

 to penetrate more deeply into the earth than when 

 they arc wide apart ; for it may be remarked that 

 the roots of corn avoid each other, and push their 

 strongest shoots into those spots where they have 

 most room to spread ; but it" the seed be thickly 

 sown, they are then forced to strike their roots per- 

 pendicularly, instead of laterally, into the ground. 

 Still, however, this must depend upon the nature 

 of the land ; for if the subsoil be sterile or tena- 

 cious, the roots then either meeting opposition, or 

 not finding nourishment, must again seek the upper 

 stratum. There, they become matted together, 

 and, each contending for the share of nutriment 

 of which it has been deprived, the weakest are 

 often seen to perish ; which in a great measure 

 accounts for that partial fiiiiure which frequently 

 attends corn crops at the very height of the season. 

 Provided the soil be open and tolerably lijrtile, (lie 

 nearer its depth approaches tolluu which we have 

 stated to be its vegetative limit, (he great number 

 of plants may it therelbre be supposed capable of 

 furnishing with support;* and, if attentively ob- 

 served, a material diflerence will be found between 



* A remarkable instance of this is mentioned in the 

 Bedford Report, in which it is stated " that a road hav- 

 ing been made across the ends of some ridged lands in 

 the parish of Ridgemount, the cultivated soil of the 

 ridges was cast into the hollows. The field was after- 

 wards sown with barley, and the scattered corns which 

 grew where the soil was accumulated in the ancient 

 furrows formed a remarkable contrast with the rest of 

 the field. Tlie produce of the barley crop was little 

 more than three quarters per-acre, while that which 

 grew on the same poor soil, accumulated, perhaps, a 

 foot deep, was remarkably luxuriant, many of the corns 

 producing from ten to twenty stalks, and the ears large 

 in proportion." An effect which the reporter ascribes 

 to no other cause than the depth of the soil.—^. 277. 



